Wednesday night, following an 18-point beatdown over the Clippers, the OKC Thunder officially clinched the top record in the NBA for the third straight season, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2007-08 to 2009-10) and Golden State Warriors (2014-15 to 2016-17) as the only three clubs to accomplish such a feat this century.
Though such an achievement certainly warrants excitement and praise from fans and the media alike, it's important to remember that locking down the league's top seed does far more than give Oklahoma City bragging rights.
Just ask Thunder star Chet Holmgren, who reminded everyone during his post-game interview with sideline reporter Nick Gallo that having such a standing proved invaluable for them last season during their championship run, as it provided them home court advantage in two separate, winner-take-all playoff games.
"It's extremely important. Just knowing that, in the event of a Game 7, it's always going to be at home. You can't underestimate how valuable that is. We saw that in the playoffs last year twice so it's extremely important," Holmgren said.
Thunder gain homecourt advantage throughout playoffs with top-record
Between last year's Western Conference Semifinals and NBA Finals against the Nuggets and Pacers, respectively, the Thunder were forced to play two Game 7s during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Fortunately, as Holmgren alluded to, OKC saw both take place out at Paycom Center, where they lost just twice throughout the entire postseason. Meanwhile, on the road, they proved far more susceptible, going a middling 5-5.
Had it not been for their number-one-seeded status, there's a frighteningly realistic possibility that either one of those games could have gone in a completely different direction.
Regardless of their small-market reputation, the Thunder are regarded as having one of the best home-court advantages in the entire association.
Last season, this edge clearly benefited them. Now, after securing the best record for the third-straight campaign, the hope is that it can help aid in their pursuit of winning back-to-back championships.
Thunder one win away from truly historic accomplishment
With two games remaining on the regular season docket, the Thunder may not be done just yet when it comes to playing themselves into remarkable accomplishments.
After having rattled off the fourth-most single-season wins in league history with 68 a season ago, Oklahoma City currently finds itself sporting 64 here in 2025-26.
Should they come away victorious in one of their final two games on the schedule, they will have officially become the third NBA franchise ever to finish with 65 wins in back-to-back seasons.
The two other teams to do so: The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls (1995-96 & 1996-97) and the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors (2015-16 & 2016-17).
Considering they've gone a combined 7-1 against their next two opponents in the Nuggets and Phoenix this season, the odds of OKC reaching such a threshold seem to be rather high.